Same-Sex Marriage

I mean, this is disgusting and horrifying, but anyone familiar with America as an international entity probably isn't too surprised. Putting on a hollow shell of maybe being kind of progressive (or at the very least, vaguely "noble") and then fiercely advocating for genocide in our international actions and how we spend our money abroad is kind of our whole deal.
 
Here is the full resolution: http://ilga.org/downloads/HRC36_resolution_question_death_penalty.pdf

Look at this part: "Calls upon States that have not yet acceded to or ratified the Second Optional Protocol
to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the abolition of the death
penalty to consider doing so".

It is asking for support against the death penalty in general, and that is why the US will not support it. It is not about LGBT rights specifically (althoughthat is mentioned) but this resolution is about 50% aimed against the death penalty in general, and about 50% against a range of vulnerable groups. To some extent, "United States rejects UN resolution condemning use of death penalty to target LGBTQ people" it is media spin and stirring up trouble. It is a factually accurate but selective and misleading statement.

The below is a copy and paste from Trump administration under fire for voting against UN motion condemning the execution of gay people for those seeking more detail on this:

"State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert added that the U.S. “unequivocally condemns” the application of the death penalty to homosexuality, adultery, and religious offenses.

“We voted against that resolution because of broader concerns with the resolution’s approach in condemning the death penalty in all circumstances, and it called for the abolition of the death penalty altogether,” Nauert said in a statement.

The U.N. resolution in fact calls for states which have not abolished the death penalty to consider doing so. Seven countries abstained from the vote.

Haley is partially correct: Previous administrations have also refused to back motions critical of the death penalty, but some have chosen to abstain from votes. No U.S. administration has backed a measure condemning the death penalty.

In 2014 the Obama administration abstained from a resolution on capital punishments in the Human Rights Council, which did not highlight LGBT rights."
 
On the other topic, I may have said this before, or elsewhere, but I was quite disappointed, shocked even, to see Merkel personally voting against equal marriage rights for all citizens. It may have been as astute tactical vote according to some, but it will also become a stain on her legacy; it is a morally indefensible thing to do.

It is sad to see that a leader of Germany can still get away with doing this. I have this idea of Germany seizing the moral leadership of the world as the US and UK (amongst others) stagnate but maybe it is a fantasy.

I was also surprised when I heard about the vote in the first place and I would have just assumed that same sex marriage was legal in Germany years ago.
 
Don't get me wrong - I am extremely happy for LGBT+ Australians. However, these news come with a bit of a sour aftertaste in my opinion. Bakeries and other service providers are allowed to refuse service if their customers are LGBT+. That's about the same as refusing service if someone is black, in my opinion.
That's because it is! I found this shocking. Are discrimination laws that selective there?
 
I love this photo:

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It was taken after the successful Australian vote on same sex marriage. The two MPs who are embracing are from different political parties.